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Nehar Deah
Teruma
The Golden Menorah of the Mishkan – A Tree of Light
The weekly Torah portion of “Teruma” deals with the instructions
which Moses received for constructing the mishkan (tabernacle, portable
sanctuary) and its vessels, and it opens with the commandment to take
from the children of Israel donations of the more costly materials needed
(gold, silver, copper, blue and purple dyed materials). Moses is told
that the mishkan must resemble a “form” that Hashem showed
him on Mount Sinai (Shemot 25:9,40; 26:30; 27:8). There are those who
surmise that the “form” was a model of the mishkan that Hashem
showed to Moses in order to help him to understand the complex instructions
to be carried out, and there are those who think that this “form”
was a depiction of the heavenly dwelling place of God, of which the mishkan
was meant to be a copy of. The latter view finds support in parallel material
from the ancient Orient. According to Mesopotamian tradition, temples
were built according to a form which was transmitted to the builders by
the gods. Therefore, for example, we are told of the god Ningirsu (Ningishzida)
who, through a dream, shows Gudea, king of Lagash, a vision of the temple
he must build and even gives him its form in writing. According to this
approach, the symbolic significance of the mishkan lies in the fact that
it is seen as a copy of a heavenly temple.
One of the central vessels which Moses was instructed to prepare was
the golden menorah (candelabra): “And you shall make a candlestick
of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made … And
there shall be six branches going out of the sides of it: three branches
of the candlestick out of its one side, and three branches of the candle-stick
out of its other side … And you shall make its lamps, seven …
And see that you make them after their pattern, which is being shown to
you upon the mountain” (25:31-40). The Torah also tells of the implementation
of this command, the repetition containing small changes: “And he
made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work he made the candlestick
… And there were six branches going out of the sides of it …
And he made its lamps, seven” (37:17-23). The almost exact word
for word repetition is meant to express the completeness and exactness
of the implementation. The menorah was build exactly according to heavenly
specifications.
The menorah was a unique vessel. It is the only vessel of the mishkan
about which it is specifically stated that that it was built according
to a heavenly form: “According to the pattern which Hashem showed
Moses, thus he made the menorah” (Bamidbar 8:4). The menorah was
also an extremely costly item. In contrast to the other large vessels
of the mishkan (the ark and the table), which were only gold plated, it
was made completely of gold. The text emphasizes the impressive weight
of the material need to produce it (including its tongs and ashpans) –
“a kikar (talent) of pure gold” (Shemot 25:39; 37:24). There
is no other vessel among the vessels of the tabernacle that the text states
the weight of the materials from which they were built.
The artistic design of the menorah was also impressive. The menorah was
designed as one unit, “one beaten work” (Shemot 25:36; 37:22).
The description of the menorah is filled with terms borrowed from botany:
it had stalks, bowls like almonds, bulbs and flowers. The shape of the
menorah was that of a trunk which comes out of a “yerech”
(=base/root) and from it the stalks branched out like the branches of
a tree. On each one of the stalks there were “three almond like
bowls … bulb and flower” (25:33; 37:19). “Almond like
bowls” are bowls which are carved like almond blossoms. This means
that the golden menorah was designed like an almond tree which stands
in full bloom. The almond tree is the first to blossom in Israel. It begins
to blossom at the end of winter and announces the arrival of spring. Therefore
the almond branch symbolizes the power of life being renewed.
The recognition of the vitality of the almond tree is expressed in the
vision of Jeremiah, who was “one of the priests who were in Anatot”
(Jeremiah 1:1): “And God’s word came to me saying: What do
you see Jeremiah? And I said: a rod of an almond tree (shaked) I see.
And Hashem said to me: You have seen well, as I will strive (shakod) over
my words to do them” (1:11-12). The almond wood rod in the vision
symbolizes the speed at which Hashem’s word becomes realized.
The structure of the menorah deserves special attention. From the central
rod, six rods split off: “three branches of the menorah out of its
one side, and three branches of the menorah out of its other side”
(25:32; 37:18). Therefore, together with the middle rod, there were seven
rods (and seven is a number which expresses completeness). The form of
the menorah was like a holy tree, as we learn from artistic works from
the ancient world, in which we often see a holy tree represented as a
central stem from which six branches split off, three on each side.
The Bible reflects a belief that links the almond tree to some form of
Godly power. This is apparent from the vision of Jeremiah and also from
the tradition of the selection of Aharon and his children to serve as
priests (Bamidbar 17:16-24). After the stories of the complaints of the
children of Israel and the revolt of Korach and his followers, we are
told that Moses is commanded to take the staffs of the twelve princes
of the tribes, to write on each staff the name of one of the princes and
to place them in the tent of meeting. The person whose staff will blossom,
it is said, is the person that Hashem has chosen to serve him. “And
it came to pass on the morrow, and Moses went into the tent of the testimony;
and, behold, the rod of Aaron of the house of Levi was budding, and put
forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds” (verse
23). The order of the actions, “put forth … budding …
bore …”, teaches the speed at which it happened and of its
vitality. The wondrous blossoming of the staff and its appearance as an
almond tree whose whose fruit had ripened is a sign of the strength of
the Godly power that was wrought upon it.
Another tradition which reflects a belief in the connection between the
almond tree and the force of life, is found in what happened to Jacob
in Laban’s house. According to the story, Jacob succeeded in greatly
increasing the procreative ability of the sheep using staffs of poplar,
luz and plane trees: “And Jacob took for himself rods of fresh poplar,
and luz and of the plane-tree; and peeled white streaks in them. And he
displayed the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks in the
gutters in the watering-troughs where the flocks came to drink and the
flocks gave birth to streaked, speckled, and spotted” (Bereishit
30:37-39). Luz is the name of the almond tree in Aramaic and Arabic. Hashem
also revealed himself to Jacob in the city of Luz on his way to Charan
(ibid 18:10-11) and there even saw the ladder based in the ground with
heavenly angels ascending and descending on it. Was the place where Hashem
revealed himself to Jacob, named Luz after a holy almond tree which stood
there?
The menorah was placed in the tent of meeting, in front of the curtain,
in the presence of the table (Shemot 26:35; 40:24). The priest would light
its lights (Shemot 30:7-8) and they remained constantly lit in before
Hashem (Vayikra 24:1-4). Using the menorah as a basis for lights transformed
it into a tree of light. A lit candle and light are typical symbols of
life and of Hashem who gives life to all. “The light of Hashem is
the spirit of man” is written in the book of Mishlei (Proverbs 20:27)
and the poet of the psalms says to Hashem “because with you is the
source of life, and in your light we see light” (36:10). Light is
the antithesis of death (Iyov [Job] 33 verses 28,30), which is symbolized
by darkness and a dimming light (Mishlei 20:20; Iyov 21:17).
From all that has been said above, it becomes clear that the menorah
of the mishkan was constructed in the form a tree filled with symbols
of life and holiness. Could this mean that it represented the tree of
life which stood in the Godly garden of Eden?
Dr Leah Mazor
Bible Studies Department
Language and Geography - Kaftor Vaferach (Bulb and Flower)
In Midrash Bereishit Rabbah (98:38) we are told of Rabbi Tarfon who “when
someone would say dvar tikun (= something correct/pleasant) he would say
‘kaftor vaferach’”. In fact, the phrase kaftor vaferach
has become, in traditional literature, an expression of praise for saying
something pleasant. Therefore, the Ramban (in his commentary on Vayikra
25:1) says of an opinion that he quotes “this seems correct to me,
and it is kaftor vaferach”. Rabbi Meshulam Rath (Poland 1875 –
Bnei Brak 1963) says in a compilation of his responsa, “Kol Mevaser”
(A Heralding Voice), regarding the commentary of Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra,
that “it is a wonderful commentary kaftor vaferach” (Part
2, paragraph 36).
“Kaftor Vaferach” is also the name of a book that is regarded
as a pioneering work in the field of the topography of the land of Israel.
Its author, Ashtori Haparchi, hinted at his own name in the title. The
“Haparchi” family came from Florence in Spain and the letters
“flor”, in Spanish, mean “flower”. (The name “Haparchi”
contains the word perach which is Hebrew for flower.) Ashtori himself
was born in France in the year 1306 and made his way to Barcelona, Toledo,
Egypt and the land of Israel, where he settled first in Jerusalem, and
afterwards in Beit Shean, where he practised as a doctor.
He summarized his knowledge of the land of Israel in his book “Kaftor
Vaferach”, after touring the entire land for seven years, two of
which he spent in the Galilee region. Ashtori describes the location of
180 cities and other sites, aided by their Arabic names (which he refers
to as “Yishmaelim”). Most of these locations are still accepted
today, such as Beitar, Modiin or Usha. Ashtori also listed the Arabic
names of the plants of the land, in an attempt to identify those mentioned
in the Mishna and the Talmud. During his travels he also discovered an
ancient synagogue in Beit Shean and contributed to our knowledge of the
middle ages with his descriptions of the society in Israel during his
time, including the groups that lived there: Jews, Karaites, Samaritans,
Christians and Moslems.
Ashtori Haparchi’s descriptions in “Kaftor Vaferach”
supply us with large amounts of geographic information, but they were
not written for this purpose alone. His research was aimed at clarifying
various questions of religious law and attempting to solve them by using
practical findings. Thus, for example, in his investigations of Tiberius
and its history, he comes to the conclusion that its walls are in fact
ancient enough for it to be considered a city which was surrounded by
a wall in the times of Joshua son of Nun. What is the importance of such
a fact? As is known, we celebrate the festival of Purim on the 14th day
of the Hebrew month of Adar, except for cities which were surrounded by
walls in the time of Joshua son of Nun, such as Jerusalem, where Purim
is celebrated on the 15th of Adar (known as “Shushan Purim”).
Ashtori also declares that the hot springs in Tiberius are those mentioned
in the Talmud. This is important, as if this is in fact so, then one is
permitted to bathe in them on the Sabbath.
In truth, Ashtori Haparchi’s book, “Kaftor Vaferach”,
is worthy of what Rabbi Tarfon said of every pleasant thing he heard:
“kaftor vaferach”.
Language and Midrash – Luz
The word “Luz” has been given three meanings in the literature
of chazal (literally “our sages of blessed memory”):
- In Bereishit 30:37 we are told of the manner in which Ya’akov
increased the number of sheep in the flocks, which had speckled and
spotted skin. He placed before the female sheep “rods of fresh
poplar, and luz and of the plane-tree…”, and when giving
birth, they gave birth to sheep that were covered with various spots.
Chazal explain the word “luz” (here and in other places)
as being the almond tree (as it is also in Aramaic and similarly in
Arabic).
- According to certain verses (Bereishit 28:19; 35:6; 48:3; Joshua
16:2; 18:13; Judges 1:23) “Luz” is the ancient name of the
city Beit-El. In the literature of chazal we find many legends of this
wondrous city, for example: “This is Luz which is painted techelet
(= a special color used for painting tzitziot [fringes of a ritual four
cornered garment]), This is Luz which Sennacherib (king of Assyria)
came to and did not confound it, Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) and
did not destroy it and even the angel of death, but he does not have
permission to pass through it… ” (Babylonian Talmud, Sotah
46b). It was therefore an eternal city whose enemies could not conquer
it, on one hand, and the angel of death could not step foot into it,
on the other hand. The name of the city is explained in three ways as
we find in Midrash Bereishit Rabbah:
- “Why is it called Luz? Everyone who enters into it uncontrollably
performed (in other versions it is written “blossomed with”)
the commandments and did good deeds like the luz (= almond tree)…
- Just as the luz does not have a mouth (as the fruit is round)
so no-one can stand at the entrance of the city…
- A luz stood at the entrance to the city…” (69:8).
The last two interpretations explain the story in Judges 1:22-26,
which tells of the difficulty finding the entrance to the city when
the children of Israel conquered it. According to the first, one
could not see the entrance to the city, and according to the second,
the entrance to the city was hidden by almond trees.
- In the literature of chazal we find a third interpretation of “luz”,
which is not based on verses from the Bible. Midrash Bereishit Rabbah
tells of “Luz of the spine, from which Hashem reassembles man
in the world to come.” Luz is therefore one of the vertebrae of
the spine (according to another source it is the top vertebra), which
does not disintegrate after death, and from it man will be recreated
in the resurrection of the dead. In continuation we are told, that the
Caesar Hadrian asked for proof of this claim from Rabbi Yehoshua ben
Chananiyah. Rabbi Yehoshua took the luz bone and “ground it in
the grindstones and it was not ground, burnt it with fire and it was
not burnt up, put it in water and it did not disintegrate, placed it
on the anvil and begain to hit it with a hammer. The anvil split and
the hammer cracked and [the luz] was untouched”.
The last two interpretation of the word “luz” have a common
denominator, as according to them the luz has the potential for unending
vitality, in terms of a bone from the body which never disintegrates,
or a city which cannot be destroyed and in it one can live forever. Even
the identification of luz as the fruit of the almond tree suits this understanding,
as with the help of the fruit of the Luz, Ya’akov’s herds
flourished “and the man increased exceedingly” (Bereishit
30:43).
With these traditions, it is worthwhile to point out two later traditions,
created by the Jews of Yemen, which interpret the name “Luz”
negatively. In Midrash Hagadol (Bereishit 28:19): “… from
then on [the name was called] Beit-El, but previously it was niluz [corrupt/deviant]
and maliz” and also in a midrash named “Maor Ha’afela
(Light of the Darkness)” (on the same verse): “people were
deviating from the true path”. It seems that the desire to glorify
Beit-El, brought a tendency to denigrate the earlier name of the city,
Luz.
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